Air-directing and ignition-electrode support for oil-burners



July 7, 1931.

c'. w. PARKER AIR DIRECTING AND IGNITION ELECTRODE SUPPORT FOR OIL BURNERS Filed Nov.

CHARLES W PAFKER l'nwentor Gttomcg 5the line 1-1 of Fig. 3,

Patented Juli-7, 193i UNITED, sT T s PATENT o 'FIcE- p wrangl ng or I f Application fil ed November 12, 1828. Serial No. 318,891.

' My invention relates to' oil or liquid-fuel burners of'the nozzle type, employing hightension electrical ignition means, and having air-directing devices for effecting a a gyratory motion of air past the nozzle from which the liquid fuel is'sprayed' It is the object of my invention to rovide' for burners of this kind a combine 'air-directin device and insulating supportfor the 1gni-.

10 'tionelectrodes, whereby the desired flow of air past the nozzle may be effected without being interfered with b the electrode-supports and insulators. X further object vof .my invention is to provide means for retaining the air-directing electrode-support in adjusted relations to the fuel-nozzle. A further object is to provide improved means for connecting to the electrodes the high-tension conductors of the ignitionclrcuit.

In the. accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a liquid-fuel burner provided with means embodying my invention, the section bein on the plane of %i 2 is a horizontal section of the air-tu e, showing in plan the parts inclosed thereby, and Flg. 3 IS an inner end View of the burner.

Liquid-fuel burners of the type to which my invention is applicable are characterized by the use of a nozzle 5 which is carried at the end of the pipe 6 through which the fuel is suppliedunder pressure, the nozzle having at the end thereof a minute aperture 7 through which the fuel emerges in a fine spray, to become mixed with air, ignited and burned. The-fuel-pipe '6 is arranged centrally of much larger pipe or tube 8 through which the air is supplied for com 4 v bustion' of the fuel, the air usually being under forced draft, impelled'by a suitable fan-or blower. The tube 8 is extended through the wall of the furnace to the comlmstion-chamber thereof, said tube termi- 4 nating substantially at the inner side of the wall, and the fuel-pipe being so arranged that the end of the nozzle 5 is approximately flush with the inner end of the airtube. The hi h-tension electrical igniting means for the urner includes a pair of elec helicoidal air-directin trodes 9 having terminal. portions 10 of which the ends are suitably positioned and v spaced apart 'for the passage of the ignition-spark at a-point adjacent to the'stream of fuel sprayed from the nozzle-a er'ture 7 In'burners of this type it is hig ly desirable, and practically essential, to. provide means for producing a whirling or gyratory motion of the air about the fuel-nozzle,

.whereby to insure uniform distribution of the air about the emerging spray of fuel, and to thus produce a clean, uniform and properly directed flame within the combustion-chamber of the furnace: The desired gyratory motion ofthe air is readily ef-- fected by means of suitable helicoidal vanes 'or blades held fixedly in the air-tube adjacent to the nozzle,vbut great difliculty has been encountered heretofbre in effecting the desired control of the air-'currents, by reason 7 of the following: The electrodes, and the wiresor conductors by which the same are connected with the source of electrical en-- ergy, pass through the air-tube alongside the fuel-pipe, it being necessary that the electrodes be-adequately supported to maintain their terminals 10 in proper relation to each other and to thefuel-spray, and that the electrodes be suitably insulated-to prevent leakage of the high-tension current. The v insulators for the. electrodes, and the supporting means'for such insulators, are necessarily located in proximity to the nozzle, and in-burners as heretofore constructed it has been found that the presence of the insulators' and the supporting means therefor has interfered seriously with thedesired gyratory motion of the air produced by the blades, causing the air to emerge about t e fuel-nozzle asymmetrically thereto, and resulting in an imperfectly formed and directed flame, andineflicient combustion of the-fueL- 4 The foregoing difficulties and objections are entirely overcome by the means provided by my invention, said means consist- I ing primarll of an air-directing device formed whol y of high-grade insulating material such as glazed porcelain, said a1r-di-- recting device being constructed and arranged to form the support for the ignitionelectrodes, and thereby entirely replacing the usual insulators and supports for the electrodes. In the illustrated structure, the insulating, air-directing member'comprises a tubular hub 11 adapted to fit loosely upon the fuel-pipe 6, and having formed integrally therewith a plurality of helicoidal blades 12, preferably'arranged symmetrically about the hub and of such radial ex- 'tent as to pass. freely through the air-tube 8. ..Two of .the blades, preferably those above the horizontal axial plane of the device,

have bosses or cylindrical lugs 13 formed integrally therewith, said lugs extendin parallel with the hub-axis and being locate intermediate the hub and the outer ends of the blades. The electrodes 9 pass longitudinally through said lugs 13, being laced therein when the insulating material vis molded, and each electrode having, inclosed' by the insulating material, a flattened or non-cylindrical portion 14:, serving to anchor the electrode in the material and prevent displacement thereof either by longitudinal movement or rotation.

The insulating, air-directing member is held in adjusted relations upon the fuelpreferably threaded to receive the coupling-members 19 by which the wires 20 are connected therewith. Said coupling-members 19 are cup-shaped, being threaded at one end to fit upon the threaded ends of the electrodes, and at the other end having a small opening through which the stranded,

1 flexible wires 20 may be passed after the coupling, so that said spread insulating covering 21 has been stripped from a short portion thereof. After being passed through said opening, the end portions of the stranded wire are s read'into the bottom of the threaded portion of the the wire will be clamped and against the same. A mechanically and electrically efficient connection of the wires with the electrodes is thus effected without soldering, weldin or the use of means which. might project laterally toward the fuel-pi e 6 or the air-tube 8, with conseortions of rmly held. when the end of the electrode is screwed the electrodes to be effectively insulated and supported in the desired relation to the fuelnozzle, without interfering, or with a minimum of interference, with the gyratory aircurrents caused by the helicoidal blades of "the air-directing device; and that the devices may be inexpensively produced, and easily and quickly assembled and adjusted to a proper operative relation.

I claim and desire to Patent is:

1. In a liquid fuel burner of the class secure by Letters described, the combination with a fuelnozzle, and a fuel-pipe extending to and supporting said nozzle; of an air-directing member and electrode-support formed integrally of insulating material and comprising an annular central portion fitting about said fuel-pipe, and a plurality ofhelicoidal blades extending outwardly from said annular central portion; electrodes extending substantially parallel with the fuelpipe through the intermediate portions of some of said blades and supported solely thereby; and means for securing said alr directing member and electrodes in adjusted relations to the nozzle, said means comprising collars secured upon the fuel-pipe, one of said collars having parts interengaged with the annular central portion of said member to prevent turning thereof about the fuel-pipe.

2. In a liquid fuel burner of-the class described, the combination with a fuel-nozzle, and a fuel-pipe extending to and supporting said nozzle, of an air-directing member formed integrally of insulating material and comprising an annular central fitting about said fuel-pipe, and a p urality of blades extending outwardly from said annular central portion; electrodes affixed 'to said blades intermediate the ends thereof and extending therefrom substantially parallel with the fuel-pipe; and means for securing the air-directing member in adjusted relations'to the nozzle, said means including a collar secured to the fuel-pipe and havingparts interengaged with the annular central portion of said air-directing member to prevent turning thereof about the fuel-pipe.

- CHARLES W. PARKER.

quent liability of leakage or short-circuiting of the i 'tion-ci'rcuit.

It wi be apparent that the describedstructure and arrangement of parts enables Now, having described my invention, what ortion 

